It is generally well accepted that crime including both minor and major violations of the law is on the rise. Accordingly, the police officer normally traveling alone in a police vehicle, such as an automobile, is placed in increasingly demanding situation wherein both his safety is in jeopardy and his activity would preferably require close monitoring.
Alarming statistics are available relating to the death or serious injury of police officers by suspects by performing normal police activities. Typically, an automobile may be stopped for what may be considered a minor or normal traffic violation. When the police officer leaves his vehicle to inspect or interview the person stopped, he sometimes encounters dangerous situations where the motorist is retaliatory or unbeknownst to the police officer has committed a major felony and attempts to escape sometimes after attempting to harm or kill the police officer.
There is an obvious need therefore for an observation and/or viewing and recording system associated with the police vehicle and which is at least in part remote to the extent that the policeman's activity outside the vehicle can be readily observed and recorded by means of a video camera and like video equipment. Such a preferred system could be utilized in addition to the police officer's safety to render his activities more efficient and accurate when used as evidence. For example the vehicle's license plate and/or description could be accurately recorded if later required. Also, the specific activities between the officer and the suspect would be permanently recorded thereby dispelling any counterclaims for police abuse.